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Friday, May 18, 2012

Veneration of Saints

“There is only one God, and one mediator between God and
men, man Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 2:5).Then, why do we ask saints to intercede for us? Can they hear our
prayers? Are they alive there in heaven as Catholics believe or ‘sleeping’ here
in the dust, as anti-Catholics teach?

We all admit
the fact that Jesus is the only mediator; it doesn’t mean that we cannot or
should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us! In fact,
“Prayer of the righteous is very powerful” (James 5:16).

The saints
and martyrs of the Catholic Church are those who lived the Bible heroically.
(Not simply preachers). By declaring someone as saint, the Church proclaims
publicly that they practiced virtues in their lives as taught by Jesus and all
must try to imitate them.

In different
Christian groups great preachers are considered as most anointed, but Catholic
Church considers those who practice gospel values in their lives as most
anointed! They are those who interpreted the Bible not only in words, but in their
very lives! They are the heroes of the Church.

In AD 400
St. Augustine taught, worship is always given to God as it is expressed in the
Greek word ‘Latria.’ But the veneration of saints is considered ‘dulia’ which
is ‘honor’ that we give to saints and angels.

Bible Says Saints Are To Be Venerated

Saints are
venerated as they reflect the glory of God. John 17:22 – “The glory which you
have given me, I have given to them.” St. Paul says God honors those who are
righteous. Romans 2:4-11 – “For he will give every man according to his works.
Those patiently do good works, seek glory and honor and immortality, he will
give eternal life… glory and honor to everyone who does good.” Romans 13:1-7
instructs to “respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.”

Saints Can Intercede For Us

The Greek word for witness is ‘martus’ as it is used in
the New Testament. In the Bible, we have the evidence that those who suffered
martyrdom, are helping us in our needs before God: “Therefore since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of ‘witnesses’ let us also lay aside every
weight” (Heb. 12:1).We see the prayers
of saints are offered to God. (Revelation 5:8) – “And when he had taken the
scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before
the Lamb, each holding a harp and with golden bowls of incense which are the
prayers of the saints.”Saints are aware
about what is happening here on earth: Revelation 12:10-12 – Saints in heaven
say, “woe to you earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great
anger, he knows his time is short.”Saints see what is happening here on earth.Jesus himself said the saints and angels in
heaven are watching us.“Despise not
these little ones because their angels are always seeing the face of the
heavenly father” (Mat. 18:10).“There
will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7).It all shows the presence of saints and
angels in heaven.

Veneration of Relics of Saints

Do the relics of martyrs and saints
have any power from God? Why do we keep it and venerate it? Does the Bible
support this Catholic practice?

Throughout
the centuries it was a Christian practice to give reverence to the relics of
saints. It has a strong Biblical foundation.2 Kings 2:14 – Then he took the mantle of Elijah and struck the water,
saying: “Where is the Lord, God of Elijah?”When he had struck the water, the water has parted to the one side, and
to the other.And Elisha went over. -
The mantle of Elijah becomes an instrument of God’s miracle.Luke 8:43-47 – A woman suffering from flow of
blood for twelve years was healed when she touched the fringe of his
garment.Mark 6:56 – They might touch
even the fringe of his garment; and as many has touched it, all were made
well.Acts 5:15-16 – They carried the sick
to the streets as Peter came by so that at least his shadow might fall on some
of them…and they were all healed.Acts
19:11-12 – God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. Even
handkerchiefs and aprons he had used were takento the sick, and their diseases were driven away, and the evil spirits
would go out of them.

Incorruptibles

Incorruptible
dead body of Saint Bernadette (1879)

Incorruptible
dead body of Saint Vincent de Paul (1660)

Incorruptible
dead body ofSaint Catherine Labouré
(1876)

Incorruptible
dead body of Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1333)

Incorruptible
dead body of Saint John Vianney (1859)

Incorruptible
dead body of Blessed Pope John XXIII (1963)

Foolishness of “Souls Sleeping” Theory!

‘The dead are sleeping until the Last
Judgment Day’ is a theory made by non-Catholics to deny the intercession of
saints and prayer for the dead! For them souls are not immortal. To support their claim, they quote:
“But the dead knows nothing, and they have no reward” (Ecclesiastes 9:5).But the same book says (Ecc. 12:7): “Dust
return to earth, and spirit return to God who gave it.”So, it is clear that souls are immortal.New Testament reveals the souls are not
sleeping.Souls of martyrs are praying before
God: “Holy faithful Master, how much longer will you wait before you pass
sentence and take vengeance for our death on the inhabitants of the earth?”
(Rev. 6:9-10).If the martyrs are
sleeping, how can they pray like this before God?

(Luke
16:19-31) – In the story of Lazarusand
the rich man, Jesus says, both Lazarus, the rich man and Abraham are
alive.We don’t see,after death, they started to sleep. The rich
man even asks God to allow him to visit his five brethren on earth who are
alive.1 Peter 3:18-19 states: “Christ…
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, went and preached
to the spirits in prison.”If the
spirits in prison, who are dead and ‘know nothing,’ how can Jesus go there and
preach to them?2 Cor. 5:6-8 – “We are
always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent
from the Lord.I am willing rather to be
absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”Absent from the body shows our death.After death, we are present before God, as
Paul believes.When we die our soul is
‘not starting to sleep,’ but ‘departing’ from the body, to the Lord.When Rachel died her soul ‘departed’ (Gen.
35:18).It is made clear when Jesus
promised the thief: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”(Not after the Day
of Judgment) - Luke 23:43.During the
transfiguration of Jesus in Mount Tabor “Moses and Elias, were talking with
him,” as seen by the apostles.Moses and
Elias were dead long ago.How can they
speak to Jesus if they are sleeping?(Somnambulism).So the belief, ‘souls sleep’ has no biblical
foundation at all.

2 comments:

SAINTS are fruits of GOD's holiness who is the full expression of all holiness.(Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:8) They responded the 'call' of the all Holy LORD, "For I, the LORD, am your God; and you shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I AM holy."(Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 1Pet.1:16) As Abraham did walk and become blameless in the presence of the LORD,(Gen. 17:1) so were the saints as well. They walked and became blameless in God's presence through the merits of Christ in the Holy Spirit. (Rev. 14:13; 22:14)Please check on http://shepherdsvineyard.blogspot.com/

Being part of ONE Body of Jesus Christ, (Romans 12:4-5) does not end on persecution and death. It continues into God's Kingdom in Heaven in HIS all holy presence.(Rev. 7:9-10) The departed righteous souls; since, they are already victorious in their lives here on earth Jesus gives them power or authority to rule with an iron rod over nations. (Rev. 2:26-28) This what St. Paul said, 'co-heirs' with Christ.(Rom. 8:16:17) Because they are already perfected by the blood of Christ, (Rev. 7:14-17) their prayers are even more heard in Heaven before the throne of God, for they (prayers) are being placed in a golden bowl (Rev. 5:8) means that their prayers are very precious in the presence of the Almighty. That is why Saint James says, "the fervent prayer of a righteous is very powerful in effect,(James 5:16-17) for 'The Lord is far from the wicked but the prayers of the just HE hears. (Prob. 15:29)